Photographs give you glimpses of things in your life that you probably won’t experience again. That’s why like many other people, you might be keeping your photos in albums for posterity. However, Debbie Hodge, owner of the scrapbook education site Get It Scrapped, says that you should think about storing your photos in scrapbooks instead, as this medium allows you to re-experience your memories in a different way:

"You should start scrapbooking because otherwise your photos will become part of an undefinable mass that doesn’t tell your stories. Photos can be preserved to evoke feelings, trigger associations, and tell those who see them in the future what YOUR story was. If you don’t scrapbook they will be part of a large collection that doesn’t really convey why the individual photo matters."

It’s even better if you have a creative side as well, because scrapbooking allows you to experiment with brushes, papers, layouts, and color combinations. Of course, this activity requires more time and effort than simply arranging your photo albums, so you must start looking for places where you can buy your materials. To save time, you might want to visit reputable scrapbook stores online like AllScrapbookSteals.com instead of visiting your local arts and crafts shop. Not only will you be able to buy from the comfort of your home, you will also benefit from the promos and discounts that these sites regularly provide.

They can also give you ideas on how you can start making your very own scrapbook, through online references and resources. One hurdle that you might encounter from the get-go is coming up with a theme for your work. Although they’re common amongst scrapbook enthusiasts, your childhood days, high school years, out-of-country trips, and wedding anniversaries still make for good scrapbook themes. You only have to be sure that any photos you use should be complemented by related memorabilia like souvenirs from your previous trip or your old high school ID.

Well-stocked online scrapbooking stores can also help you choose the right kind of album for your scrapbook. Ring binder albums can be very useful if you want to protect your photos and easily add more pages to your scrapbook in the future. If you want to have more creative freedom, though, then perhaps you should consider post bound albums instead due to their larger working space and more seamless layout. Regardless of what type of album you choose, don’t forget to buy extra pages, because you’ll need them to fix any mistake you make in your scrapbook.

Of course, you’ll have to be extra careful with your photographs, as there’s nothing that can replace the memories that they store.

(Source: Why You Should Scrapbook: Even if You Think You Can’t, Get It Scrapped, May 29, 2011)